Thursday, 25 April 2013

The bunny challenge step two exercise post 1.

Bunnies in the wild can run up to 5 miles a day so making sure that your rabbit is getting adequate exercise is very important to its overall health. If a bunny does not have adequate exercise it will become obese and have muscle weakness. Bunnies need an exercise area in addition to a hutch or similar sleeping quarters. A run allows them to stretch their legs and also provides room for more toys to play with. Ideally Having a large run connected to the rabbits hutch will allow your rabbit to exercise freely.If your run is not connected to the rabbit hutch your rabbit should be let out 4 to 6 hours a day.

I consider the minimum rabbit run size is 7' x 5', this is the minimum however and your rabbit will certainly appreciate being provided a larger area. The rabbit run should be tall enough for your rabbit to stand upright on its back legs.

A wooden frame covered in mesh is the most common type of rabbit run. These can be made in any size and are easy to build yourself. Placing the mesh on the inside of the wooden frame will protect the wood from gnawing.

Aviaries are commonly used for keeping birds but are great for keeping rabbits in whilst they exercise. It also makes access easier as they are no small doors to catch your rabbit through and they can't climb over the sides.

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/dog-play-pen-by-pets-at-home-25507

Wire Pen (Puppy Pen) recommended only for indoor use, buy the largest size that you can find.

These are pens made by joining multiple wire panels. By combining multiple packs, you can cheaply create an extremely large temporary enclosure. However, as it has no roof, rabbits should never be left unsupervised even for a few minutes.

Metal Run recommended only under supervision,buy the largest size that you can find.

There are a few all metal rabbit runs available which include lids. Where it is possible to combine multiple runs they are a good alternative to puppy pens for creating a large exercise area. Make sure you firmly anchor the run to the ground though as they are lighter than wooden framed runs.

This is a triangular run made from wire and mesh. Most have a covered area to provide shelter and fold flat for storage. This style of run is limited in size by its design and the area is reduced further by the low slopping sides. All the apex runs that I have seen are far too small for bunnies.

In my opinion it is better to pay someone to build you a run, an aviary or build it yourself because the vast majority of runs on the market are far too small for bunnies and are made of poor quality materials. It will cost you more at first but you will save in the long run.

I hope you enjoyed this bunny challenge post as always feedback is always appreciated,you can send me a photo of your bunny to be included in the next post, you can find my contact details at the contact button at the top of the page.